Murrine

Murrine production first appeared in the Middle East more than 4,000 years ago and was revived by Venetian glassmakers on Murano in the early 16th century.

[1] Once murrine have been made, they can be incorporated into a glass vessel or sculpture in several ways.

A number of murrine may be scattered, more or less randomly, on a marver (steel table) and then picked up on the surface of a partially-blown glass bubble.

[2] Alternatively, the murrine can be arranged in a compact pattern on a ceramic plate and then heated in a furnace until they fuse into a single sheet.

With further heating, the sealed cylinder can be blown and formed into any shape a glassblower can make.